Flesh and Blood
by Nadare
Summary: After Hannah and Josh recognize each other, Josh is ultimately left trapped in the mines. Alone and going crazy with hunger, he does the only thing he can to survive. Unfortunately, it's the wrong choice. Please note this story contains significant blood and gore and cannibalism. Written for the Goretober 2018 challenge.


_A/N: For the most part, I ignore writing prompts since I get more than enough story ideas already, but Goretober stood out. Being a huge horror fan, it was right up my alley._

 _For reference, this story covers the following prompts: Infected, Transformation, Scratches, Let The Blood Stream, Blood Sport, Hunted Down, Aftermath, Dinner is Served, Gouge It Out, Eye Trauma, Obsessed, Ripped Apart, Dental, and Bones Sticking Out. If the idea of any of those squicks you out, I recommend not reading further._

[Written on and off between 9-29-18 to 10-12-18]

* * *

" _ **Flesh and Blood"**_

Until Dawn One-Shot

"Mike? Mike!"

There's no response to his panicked cries as Josh is dragged away, the grip of the monster tight upon his neck and head. He reaches up and tries to pry its fingers off, but they're like rigid steel, the immense power behind them frightening. Yelling and screaming are useless, seeming to only annoy it, which is the last thing he wants to do.

His clothes afford Josh some protection from the sharp craggy ground, though before long his lower half starts to go numb as they traverse deeper into the mines. Josh's not sure whether to be scared or relieved when he's finally thrown into the corner of a large cavern. Scrambling to his feet, he backs up until his back hits the wall, wary of the unnatural jerky movements the creature makes a few feet away from him.

It's huge, Josh knowing from firsthand experience that its weak-looking long arms and legs belay the vast amount of power at its disposal. Fast as well, given they'd covered what had to be a mile or more of ground in a manner of minutes.

He flashes back on the butterfly tattoo he glimpsed after the dark shape rose up out of the water before him, not wanting to believe that the thing in front of him could possibly be his sister Hannah. If it's true, that means while he and his parents gave her and Beth up for dead, Hannah was languishing alone in the dark, believing that rescue would be coming when nothing could have been further from the truth.

What had Sam said earlier? _"Hannah was down here for weeks. A month. She dug Beth up…"_ The implication behind the words takes a few minutes to hit him. Hannah had… Josh's stomach turns at the thought of his little sister enduring a living nightmare as she resorted to cannibalism to survive just a little longer.

Aware it had been dire straits, Josh wishes he understood the extreme bodily changes Hannah has undergone. He finds himself laughing without meaning to when he recalls that his parents had been warned before building on the mountain about mysterious disappearances. Never in their wildest dreams could they have predicted their own family would fall victim to a simple location.

Without warning, the monster stops, then launches itself at him with a loud deafening screech.

With his eyes closed and arms held up in front of his face, Josh expects his luck has run out. He prepares himself for death, his breath fast and ragged. The smell of its breath is foul enough to make him lightheaded, Josh wondering for a moment if he's going to pass out. All things considered, it would be a stroke of luck for him.

A low rumbling growl that feels like it encompasses the entirety of his body vibrates along his nerves, and slowly Josh opens his eyes to find that the creature has stopped at the last moment, long sharp teeth bared centimeters from his face. His heart beating rabbit fast, Josh searches the depths of its eyes entreatingly, the cloudy gaze hauntingly familiar, though there's little else he recognizes.

There is no denying that the being in front of him is his sister Hannah. Some part of her is trapped inside the rough exterior because she still remembers Josh. Enough to not kill him at first sight despite her new aggressive nature.

Josh swallows the nervous lump in his throat as he reaches out with shaking fingers. Once he gets close enough to brush against her cheek, he winces. Hannah's skin is hard as flint and freezing icy to the touch. Her eyes go even wider if it's possible, leaning back, looking unsure of Josh as he keeps moving forward, his courage gradually building.

Hannah goes down on all fours, seeming frozen to the spot as Josh kneels down on the ground and puts his arms around her thin shoulders. As much as he's able to anyway with her recent growth spurt taken into account. Hannah twitches like a wild animal against him, and John can feel tears form in his eyes, running down his cheeks as soon as he blinks.

"Hannah." The name comes out strangled, but Hannah goes still at it. That Josh can do this at all is a miracle, but his heart breaks at what his sister has been reduced to. None of this is her fault. Their friends hold that dubious honor. It irks Josh that his revenge against them has been left unfinished.

When Hannah starts to pull away, Josh sits back, peering in curiosity as she goes to one of the corners in the room, digging into what has to be an opening of some kind in the wall. As she turns around, Josh notes that she's holding something in her clawed hands.

Josh is given no warning when she crosses the room towards him in the space of a single blink and thrusts what appears to a hunk of meat at him. She grows impatient when he doesn't move, pushing it at Josh forcefully until he takes it from her, then jumps onto a nearby crate, perching on the edge.

"E…at," Hannah says, one long spindly limb miming the action. The deep raspy voice is unexpected, more of a growl than anything else. It's then that Josh realizes what he's holding: a human arm that's been gnawed at both ends, the hand and elbow missing.

The nightmare is now complete in Josh's head. It's not enough for Hannah to spare him, she wants him to join her. Be a family once again. Under any other circumstances, Josh would be flattered. He shudders, nauseated at the thought of putting human flesh into his mouth, let alone chew and swallow it.

"I-I can't." Josh isn't sure how much of Hannah remains, whether or not she understands why he's refusing her little gift. "I'm not…hungry." Anger flashes across her face, Josh afraid of what she'll do next, before Hannah's head cocks to the side, listening to a noise in the distance.

She gives Josh one quick glance, as if gauging his importance, then leaps up to the ceiling. "Wait, don't g-"

It's no use. Hannah ignores him, disappearing into the darkness and his view in a matter of seconds. Josh throws the arm in his grip as far away as he can and falls forward to the ground, his fists clenched over his head. He sobs, the sound echoing around him, broadcasting his private pain.

Despite how fucked up everything is, John hopes Hannah returns unharmed. If only so he can convince her to show him the way out of what has been her new home in the last year.

* * *

Josh waits. He hadn't dressed for such a cold environment and as much as he tries to huddle inward on himself, placing his hands under his knees or armpits, soon he is unable to stop shivering. He looks around him for any type of blanket or extra clothing, wishing he could see better in the darkened atmosphere.

His exploration of the space does reveal a small area where a shredded fuchsia coat lies on the ground. Josh realizes he's seen it before. It used to be Beth's. He swallows back the wave of emotion that threatens to overcome him at the knowledge.

Even as a monster driven by an insatiable hunger, Hannah has held onto a vestige of her old life. Downright treasured it. Josh hadn't even known she needed to sleep. He takes a seat on it, the meager covering of the coat doing little to warm him. It does, however, make Josh feel better that some small bit of Beth remains.

What feels like hours later, Josh starts awake at a loud concussive boom, small bits of the ceiling falling down upon his head. Hannah still hasn't returned and Josh assumes the worst. The irony of his situation isn't lost on him; trapped in the same place his sisters were, his only hope the belief that his friends will remember Josh is still down here.

* * *

Days pass. The strength in Josh's body has been leeched away by hunger and the unforgiving chilly environment. It's all he can do to keep his eyes open. Hasn't Josh always heard sleeping while suffering from hypothermia was bad?

"Josh?" His head shoots up at the familiar voice and he stares at his sisters Hannah and Beth as they approach him. They look completely human and normal, Beth kneeling down and touching Josh's forehead with a concerned expression.

"You're going to die," she says plainly as Hannah nods in agreement.

"Oh, god." Josh was losing it again. Having his sisters in front of him is agonizing, any comfort they offer negated by the fact he knows they're dead. Josh can never change that no matter how hard he wishes it.

Hannah points to an area half a dozen feet away, smiling at him. "Remember, Josh. The solution I gave you."

It's between one long blink and another that Josh focuses on the arm Hannah offered out of nothing but pure intentions. He struggles to sit up, using the last reserve of his energy to make the small journey from Hannah's bed to the piece of meat lying on the ground.

If he thinks of it as part of a human arm, he knows he'll never be able to do what's needed. He doesn't have to wonder why the prospect of eating it now is appealing. It's a matter of survival at this point, isn't it?

"Good boy." When Josh glances behind him, it's just in time to watch Hannah and Beth dissipate like so much smoke in the wind.

The only good thing about the ever-pervading chill in the air is that the meat hasn't gone bad. Josh hesitates for one second, his mouth beginning to water at the prospect of food, and closes his eyes. Without the means to build a fire to at least cook it, Josh bites into it, immediately put off by the tough and bitter exterior. Beggars can't be choosers though and he soldiers on, eventually able to gnaw a small section off.

While Josh chews, his taste buds pick up another flavor, one that's cloyingly sweet. His second bite is almost exploratory, trying to place it. It reminds him of pork or veal, a mild taste that's alien, yet familiar. Josh's third bite is automatic, slammed by the sudden voraciousness of his appetite.

Before Josh knows it, the meat is long gone, eaten almost down to the bone. Despite this, Josh is still hungry, his gaze intently searching the lair for anymore. Where had Hannah pulled the first bit out again? There had to be more. Josh is convinced he can find her larder. After all, one arm does not a corpse make.

Josh eventually spies a hole in the wall that he hadn't seen before. Granted, it is hard to see anything here. Natural sunlight is nearly non-existent. Telling himself it's only to regain his strength, Josh pulls the rest of the corpse out onto the ground. Its headless state is surprising, but Josh ignores it, quickly stripping off the clothes, exposing the flesh underneath.

He pulls at the last remaining arm on the body. It takes only one hard tug and the arm all but falls out of the socket. Either the corpse has been here longer than Josh thinks, or Josh is so desperate for sustenance adrenaline is surging strongly within his body, granting him previously unknown strength. He shakes his head, putting the matter aside and starts into the arm, moving onto the corpse itself in due time.

Josh is unsure how long he spends hunched over the body. When he wakes up, Josh's stomach is slightly distended, his skin feeling tight and uncomfortable. He scratches at an area of his arm that itches like mad and watches idly as the skin splits into two, revealing a hard dark interior. It doesn't even bleed, proving the outer layer is dead.

His shivering has long since stopped, heat spreading outward from his core, warming limbs and digits alike. Josh stares at the damage he's done, nearly stripping every edible part from the body. Still, it's not enough.

Josh digs into Hannah's larder again, finding his reach significantly longer than he remembers, and pulls out a human head. Its expression is slack-jawed, one of the pupils of the eyes a dull gray. Josh vaguely recalls seeing the face and body attached to it once at the house, trying to talk to his parents about sacred Indian land and an ancient curse. At the time, Josh thought it was a scam, simply a way for him to stay on the mountain, but maybe he'd been telling the truth after all.

It didn't matter now. Whoever the stranger had been, he is only food now.

Josh's fingers sink into the head's eye socket, the soft tissue and juices spilling outward. It drips to the ground, the sound echoing in the large cavern. He scoops the remainder of the eyeball into his palm and tosses it into his mouth. The flavor explodes on Josh's taste buds, impossibly meaty with a small crunch in the center. The ache in his gut grows stronger and he has to restrain himself from ripping the other eyeball out as fast as the first, wanting to savor it for the delicacy it is.

This time, he puts his mouth over the opening and sucks, the pressure building until the eyeball pops upward, bouncing upon his tongue and the back of his throat. His eyes close in ecstasy as he bites down, muscles shifting unnaturally in his jaw of their own violation.

He's unsure if he's imagining the bodily changes or if they really are happening. Ever since going off his meds, the borders that make up reality and illusion have become paper thin. It is impossible to tell which is which without fully engaging them. In truth, Josh has stopped caring about such things. There's only one thing that matters now: satiating his newfound hunger.

He clutches the head closer and begins to slowly strip away the flesh on the face, finding the task easier as he goes along. There's an intense jab of pain in his gums as teeth that had long been blunt and dull grow long and sharp, slipping past Josh's lips. He frowns at the sudden taste of metal, feeling something solid on his tongue, spitting out what he realizes are two fillings he received as a teenager.

 _Good riddance,_ Josh thinks before he returns to his meal. His clothes are loose around his shoulders and legs, only his overalls keeping them close to his body. Soon they'll slip off entirely. Not that it manners. Josh is pleasantly warm from head to toe, the cold that nearly killed him days ago no longer having power over him.

His grip on the head loosens, Josh going stock still as he hears the approach of footfalls coming from behind him. The desire to continue eating fades, the smell of fresh meat making his mouth water, euphoria overcoming Josh at the idea of hunting.

"There's something down here."

"We have a visual on a survivor. One survivor. Repeat."

Josh rises to his feet, growling fiercely as he turns around to face them. It only takes a moment to see that there are two of them, a man and a woman dressed in ranger uniforms.

"Is that…? Oh, fuck. Stay back. No, stay back, no!" Before the man can do more than take a few steps backward out of instinctive fear, Josh rushes him, nails that have become claws slicing deep into the man's chest and neck. It's so easy, almost child's play. Blood gushes out, splattering Josh's face. It's molten hot and sweet as he licks his lips, heartbeat rising in excitement.

The remaining ranger draws back in horror, drawing a gun from her waist. Josh retreats, crawling up on a nearby wall, slipping into the shadows as he easily tracks her movement. The narrow beam of her flashlight illuminates snatches of the cavern, lingering on the remnants of the bodies Hannah has stored near the ceiling on rusty chains. Sounds of discontent slip from the ranger's mouth.

It's noisy and gives away her position. It makes Josh's first hunt all the easier. A sound gathers itself in his throat and he shrieks, the ranger freezing a moment before she bolts, inadvertently running past the very wall Josh is perched upon. While she needs a flashlight to see around her, Josh has no such handicap. It might as well be daylight for him.

Josh follows silently in her wake, waiting until she stops, her breath loud and unsteady. Suddenly, he can't see the outline of her body, instead following the beam of her flashlight she stills holds. His muscles tense in preparation before he leaps at her, hitting the ranger straight in the gut. She falls back, holding her middle, wildly firing her weapon in what is a vain attempt to hurt him.

A bullet does strike his shoulder, mildly stinging as if someone lightly poked him.

Growing irritated, Josh gives her little time to recover, his reach long as he clasps a hand around each of her forearms. He yanks downward as hard as he can and the limbs yield, bones popping out of her skin like perverse puppets, jagged ends gleaming. She makes noises of pain, screaming as the ranger stumbles to the ground.

Injured and no longer running, Josh pounces on her, sinking his teeth into his prey's neck, painting his features red. The thrill of holding her so close as her life disappears is a heady brew, Josh shaking in exhilaration. The fresh meat is better than he could have ever imagined, convinced he can taste her very essence.

He only gets a few bites in as she struggles to breathe, ultimately giving one low gurgle, half her vocal cords savaged before going silent, becoming dead weight in Josh's arms. Unable to pull himself away, Josh rips into the rest of the ranger's neck, greedily gulping the meat down, so lost in the act of feeding he loses all sense of time and self.

Coming back to himself, the body in his arms fast growing cold, Josh throws it to the ground in disappointment. The vitality that had been so attractive has faded.

He feels…different. Powerful, fast, and utterly in his element. After dragging the other ranger deeper into Hannah's former lair, he travels to the main entrance of the mines and surveys his domain as he takes a deep breath of the clear crisp air.

It's so much simpler now. Free at last from familial obligations, morals, useless medication, and the rest of humanity's difficulties, Josh smiles. The mountain is his now. Those who step foot on it unknowingly forfeit their lives. His appetite is endless and he has room for them all.


End file.
